Edwaed t



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. Y. KNAPP.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL.

Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Liihcgmphon Washington. D. c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. Y. KNAPP. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITOE AND SIGNAL. No. 339,305.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

N. PETERS Phcloiilhogmphur. Waihinglan. my:

STATES N NE PATENT @rrrca EDTVARD Y. KN APP, OF ARCATA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO GEORGE V. B. YOOUM, OF SAMETLAOE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,305, dated April 6, 1886.

Serial No. P2638. (No model.)

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Y. KNAPP, of Arcata, county of Humboldt, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Railway Switches and Signals; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a new and useful railway switch and signal, designed to be op- IO erated by an approaching train; and my invention consists in an oscillating transverse shaft in the road-bed, a peculiar trip engaged by an arm on the locomotive, connections between said trip and the shaft, by which the I 5 latter is partly rotated, a weight connected with the shaft, and by which it is returned, a rotating lever connected by a pawl-and'ratchet mechanism with the shaft and operated thereby, balanced connections between said lever and the throw-rails of the track, and the semaphore-signal, and a pendant in the road-bed, operated by the movement of the semaphorestem, and adapted to receive the contact of an arm on the locomotive, whereby a bell is struck, all of which I shall hereinafter fully explain by reference to the accompanying drawings,

in which- Figure l is a plan of my automatic railway switch and signal. Fig. 2 is an elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and cross section of the trip (1'. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the lever Fin one position. Fig. 5 shows it in the second position. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of the semaphore and alarm mech-.

55 anism.

A is the main track, and B is the side track. 0 are the throw-rails, adapted to open and close said tracks.

In the roadbed of the tracks on each side 0 of the switching-point is a short bed, D, in which. is mounted and adapted to slide a piece, (7, to which is pivoted a catch or trip, (2, with the upper end of which an arm, Z, 011 the 10- comotive X is adapted to come in contact.

At the ends of the beds D are openings or slots (2*. \Vhen the arm of the locomotive strikes the catch or trip d, it forces it and the slidepiece d forward, the catch bearing on the bed below and remaining rigid until it reaches the slot d, when it drops down, thus relieving it and allowing the arm of the locomotive to pass by.

Mounted transversely under the road-bed is a shaft, E, on which is rigidly fixed a pulley, e, from which the chains or lines 0' ext-end around guide-pulleys c on the short beds D, and are connected with the sliding pieces (1 of the trips. The chains or lines o are attached to the pulley e in such manner that the movements of either of the sliding pieces will cause the shaft E and pulley c to turn in the same direction. The movement of the trip therefore, through the chain and pulley, effects a partial rotation of the shaft E. Secured to one end of the shaft is a pulley, e, from which 6 a line or chain, 6, extends upwardly around a pulley, c, in a standard, and suspends a weight, a, which returns the shaft to its original position after the pressure on the trip has been relieved.

At one side of the road-bed, and suitably embedded, so as to be out of the way, is a lever, F, which is pivoted loosely on the end of the shaft E. One end of this lever rests upon apivoted or swinging standard,f, while the other end rests upon a spring standard or post, f.

Upon the end of the shaft is a ratchetdisk, G, which is engaged by a spring-pawl, g, on the lever F. This ratchet has two teeth separated by one hundred and eighty degrees, as shown. Upon the shaft E is also an eccentric, H, around which is fitted the strap or loop of an arm, 71, the other end of which is pivoted to the standard f. Now, by reason of 8 5 the partial rotation of the shaft E, as described,

the eccentric H causes its arm It to force away the pivoted standard f on which the lever F rests, thereby relieving the said lever, and the shaft E,npon returning under the influence 0 of weight 6", carries the lever F around through a half-revolution because of the engagement of the pawl and ratchet. This return of the shaft causes its eccentric-arm h to bring up the pivoted standard f again, ready to receive the other end of the lever F, while the springstandard f is always in place.

Iis a line or wire connected with or formed into a wrist-piece, i, pivoted on one end of lever F. The wire or line extends a given 1 0 tance up and down the track in suitable channels prepared for it, and suspends weights K K,one at each end. These weights are equal and balance each other, so that when one is raised by the movement of the lever F the other is lowered, and thus the weights K K alternately, and each assisted in turn by the weight 6, acting through the partial rotation of the shaft E and the complete revolution of lever F,draws the line or wire I one way or the other. From this description it is manifest that while a directpull upon I will set the switch for the main track the weights K K must be relied upon to throw the same to the siding. V

J is a two-armed lever pivoted at j. One arm is above the other and is attached to the line I, while the other arm has attached to it a connecting-rod, Z, the other end of which is attached to a slide-bar, L, on which are seated the throw-rails. Now, by the half-revolution of the lever F, heretofore described, the lever J operates the throw-rails.

M is an ordinary semaphore, the stem m of which has a double-pointed crank arm, m, at its base, the points of said arm being in different vertical planes and out of line with each other.

LII

- pendant, 0.

N is a plate set on edge and adapted to slide back and forth by means of the line or wire I, into which it is let. This plate is provided with two parallel slots, at, in different vertical planes, the innerends overlapping each other. \Vit-h the uppermost slot the upper point of the arm m of the semaphore-stem engages and with the lowermost slot the lower point of said arm engages. When the lever]? makes its partial rotation, as heretofore described, it draws said plate forward or allows the weight K to draw it back, according to the direction of its rotation. Both points of the arm m project through the slots at th ei r overlapping ends, and then one or the other is engaged by its slot, and the semaphore turned and held by that one bearing against the solid portion of the plate while the other projects loosely through its slot,

' thus allowing for expansion and contraction of the lines without affecting the semaphore. The semaphore-stem has also a small crank-arm, 0, from whicha rod, 0, extends to the roadbed, in which is pivoted a loosely-swinging The rod 0, by the movement of the semaphorestem, is projected in front of the pendant, thereby holding it rigid, or is withdrawn to allow it to swing freely. \Vhen rigid, it receives the contact of a lever, P, on the locomotive, the upper end of which is adapted to strike a bell, Q. Then the pendant swings loose, the alarm is not sounded.

This alarm is for the purpose of notifying the engineer in case he fails to notice the signal.

R is a hand-lever, from which a line, 1', extends toapiilley, 1", on the shaft E, whereby the switch and signal may be operated by hand.

The general operation of my device is as follows: An approaching locomotive through its arm carries forward the trip,which through the chain e causes the partial or half rotation of the shaft E. This movement winds up the weight 6, and through the eccentric-arm h forces the standardf from under the lever F, thus relieving it. When the trip reaches the slot (2* and is relieved from the pressure of the locomotivearm, the weight 0 returns the shaft E. The ratchet-disk G of said shaft being now engaged by the pawl g of the lever F, saidlever is carried aroundby the returning shaft through a half-rotation, and is limited by its standards again. This movement of the lever through theline I described, the balanced weights, and the various mechanisms, operates the throwrails, turns the semaphore, and holds rigid the alarm-pendant.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating transverse shaft E, the rotating lever F, and a pawl-and-ratchet connection between them, whereby the return of the shaft effects a half-revolution of the lever, in combination with a trip in the road-bed engaged by an arm on the locomotive, connecting devices between said trip and the shaft, whereby the latter is partially rotated, a weight to return said shaft, connecting mechanism between the lever and the throwrails, and a weight attached to said mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating transverse sh aft E, the rotating lever F, a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism between them, whereby the return of the shaft effects a halfrevolution of the lever, a support for holding said lever in position, and an eccentric-arm on the shaft for tripping the support, in combination with a trip in the road-bed engaged by an arm on the locomotive, connecting devices between said trip and the shaft,whereby the latter is partially rotated, a weight to return said shaft, connecting mechanism between the lever and the throw-rails, and a weight connected with said mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating transverse shaft E, the rotating lever F, and a pawl-and-ratchet connection between them, whereby the return of the shaft effects a half-revolution of the lever, in combination with a trip in the road-bed engaged by an arm on thelocomotive, connecting devices between said trip and the shaft, whereby the latter is partially rotated, aweight to return said shaft, a semaphore-signal, connecting mechanism between the lever and the semaphore-signal,anda weight attached to said mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating transverse shaft E, the rotating lever F, and a pawl-and-ratchet connection between them, whereby the return of the shaft effects a half-revolution of the lever, a support for holding said lever in position, and an eccentric-arm on the shaft for tripping the support,

IOC

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in combination with a trip in the road-bed engaged by an arm on the locomotive, connecting devices between said trip and the shaft, whereby the latter is partially rotated, a weight to return said shaft, connecting mechanism between the lever and the throw-rails, and a weight attached to said mechanism, a semaphore-signal, connecting mechanism between the lever and the semaphoresignal, and a weight attached to said mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating shaft E, by which the switching and signaling are effected, in combination with the sliding pivoted trip (1, with which an arm on the locomotive engages, the opening or slot d in the bed, on which said trip slides and by which it is relieved, the chain or line 6', attached to the trip, the pulley e on the shaft, to which the chain or line is attached, and the suspended weight 0, for returning the shaft, substantially as herein described.

6. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating transverse shaft E, as described, having a ratchet, G, in combination with thelevcr F, loose on the shaft, and having a pawl, 9, engaging the ratchet, and the line I, connecting the lever F with mechanism for operating the throw-rails, substantially as described.

7. In a railwayswitch and signal, the oscillating shaft E, having a ratchet, G, in combination with the lever F, loose on the shaft, and having a pawl, g, engaging the ratchet, the line or wire I, having a wrist, i, on the lever, and the weight K, suspended by said line, the pivoted two-armed lever J, to which the line is attached, the slidebar L, in which the throw-rails are seated, and the rod Z, connecting said bar with the two-armed lever, substantially as herein described.

8. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating shaft E, having ratchet G and eccentric H, with arm 71, in combination with the lever F, having pawl g, the pivoted standard f, for one end of the lever, tripped by the being out of line and in different vertical planes, in combination with the reciprocating plate N, having two slots parallel and in different vertical planes, their ends ox erlapping, substantially as described.

10. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating shaft E and the rotating lever F, operated thereby, in combination with the semaphore M, having a stem, m, and the twopointed arm at on said stem, the sliding doubleslotted plate N, engaging the arm, the line I, into which the plate is let, one end of said line being connected with, the lever F, and the weight K, suspended by its other end, substantially as described.

11. In a railway switch and signal, the throw-rails O, the semaphore M, having a stem, m, with double-pointed arm m, the oscillating shaft E, andtrips d, engaged by an arm on the locomotive for operating the shaft, in combination with the rotating lever F, 0perated by the shaft E, the line I, connected with the lever and suspending the weights K K, the two-armed pivoted lever J, connected with the line I, and the slide-bar L, carrying the throw-rails and connected with the twoarmed lever, and the sliding double-slotted plate N, engaging the points of the arm of the semaphore-stem and let into the line I, substantially as described.

12. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating shaft E and rotating lever F, operated thereby, in combination with the semaphorestem m, and connections between it and the lever F, whereby the stem is rotated, the horizontally-reciprocating bar or rod 0, connected with the stem, and the'loose pendant 04in the road-bed, held or relieved by said bar, substantially as herein described.

13. In a railway switch and signal, the oscillating shaftE and lever F, operated thereby, and connections between said lever and the throw-rails and signal, in combination with the switch-lever It, the line 1', and the pulley '2', whereby the switch and signal may be operated by hand, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDVARD Y. KNAPP.

XVitnesses:

GEO. V. HOPKINS, J. GREENWALD. 

